MEAGHER, Thomas FRANCIS, 1823-67; b. Waterford, Ireland; educated at the -Jesuit college of Clong,owes Wood, and Stonyhurst college, Lancashire, Eng. He was a mlose and earnest student, and in 1842 was awarded the silver medal for English compo sition, defeating more than fifty English students. On completing his studies he inter. ested himself in Irish politics, and became one of the " Young Ireland" party; and, displaying great oratorical powers, was a very popular leader. On the outbreak of the French revolution in 1848 he was sent to Paris to congratulate the republican leaders. On his return to Ireland he was arrested on a charge of sedition, held to bail, afterwards tried for high treason, found guilty, and sentenced to death; but subsequently the sen tence was changed to banishment for life to Van Diemen's Land. He was accordingly transported thither, but escaped in 1852, and succeeded in reaching New York. Here, for two years, he devoted himself to lecturing, with great success. In 1855 he com menced practice at the New York bar; and the following year became the editor of the Dish News. At the beginning of the rebellion in 1861 he organized a company of zouaves, joined the 69th regiment, N. Y. volunteers, was acting maj. at first Bull Run, and after serving the three months of the first call, returned to 1New York and organized the Irish brigade, being commissioned brig.gen. Feb. 3, 1862. He was engaged in the seven days' battles, at Manassas, and at Antietam, being specially commended by gen. 3IeClellan in his report of the latter enga-gement. At Fredericksburg he was senously wounded in the leg while charging with his men on 3Iarye's heights, and was incapaci tated for further fighting. He resigned temporarily, but was recomniissioned in 1864, and held command in Tennessee and Georgia, performing distinguished service. In 1864 be was appointed secretary of Montana territory, and for some time perforrned the duties of governor in the absence of that official. On July 1, 1867, he fell from the deck of a steamer, at fort Benton, on the upper Missouri, and was drowned. He was at the time
trarelina to take measures for the protection of the white settlers in that region, threat -ened by'llie Indians. One of his last acts was to contribute to the pages of Ifaiper's a most entertaining paper entitled "Rides through Montana, ' and which was ,designed to be the first of a series. Three- weeks before his death he wrote to his pub lishers as follows: " Ever since I dispatched to .you the text of my paper on Montana I have been in the field 200 miles from here against the Sioux and other implacable red .devils." He published, also, Speeches on the Legislatite independence of Ireland; and Last Days of the 69th New York Regiment in Virginia. He was a man of brilliant and versatile capacity, and a soldier of unfailing resources and marked personal daring.
MEAL (Sax. mcel, a part or portion; Ger. mahl), a portion of food taken at one time, repast. The number of meals eaMn per day has varied at different times and in dif ferent countries. Among the Greeks and Romans of the classic ages, it was the general practice to have the principal meal toward evening, a light meal in the morninv-, and .another in the middle of the day. The akratisma, ariston, and deilmon of the dreeks, .corresponded nearly to the breakfast, luncheon, and dinner of our own country at tho. -present time; the first was taken immediately after rising in the morning, the second about midday, and the ckipnon, the principal meal, often not till after sunset. In Rome of the Augustan age, the three corresponding meals were jentaculum, prandium, and ceena. The two former were simple and hasty, except among persons of luxurious habits, with whom the midday meal was sometimes of an elaborate description. The ccena, taken in the evening, consisted of three courses, with often a great variety of viands. Reclining was the usual posture at meals for the men, the women and children sittino.. Two per sons, and occasionally three, reclined on one couch. Before a guest toolAis place at table, his shoes were taken off, and his feet waglied by an attendant.